SADC ministers have condemned Rwanda and the M23 rebel group for destabilising the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and pledged continued support for peace efforts in the region.
This was one of the strongest outcomes of the just-ended 27th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), held in Dar es Salaam from 21 to 25 July 2025.
Namibia’s Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, who led the Namibian delegation, said the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC was a key focus of the meeting.
She was speaking during the interview with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation recently while in Tanzania.
“We condemned the coalition between the Rwanda Defence Forces and the M23 in destabilising the situation in the eastern part of the DRC,” she said.
She continued: “Many people from SADC forces have made sacrifices. We paid tribute to
those who lost their lives in the process of fighting for peace and stability in the DRC”.
The MCO welcomed the DRC government’s willingness to work with any party committed to lasting peace, and called for stronger political and diplomatic initiatives.
Ashipala-Musavyi reminded the region that the people of the DRC had not known peace for decades and deserved regional support.
“We decided that we needed to continue to extend solidarity with the people of Western Sahara,” she said.
She added that peace and security dominated the agenda, but the ministers also reviewed the broader political situation in the region, including upcoming elections in Malawi and Tanzania.
They also discussed the importance of strengthening democracy and good governance.
The meeting raised concern over the trafficking of people, corruption and the increasing movement of illegal small arms across the region.
Ashipala-Musavyi said the region does not yet have a binding legal instrument on human trafficking, but member states agreed to step up information sharing to curb the crime.
Transnational organised crime, including stock theft and the smuggling of stolen vehicles between countries, was another issue that received attention.
Ministers also discussed the treatment of prisoners and the need for greater participation of women in peacebuilding efforts.
Namibia sent a strong delegation to the meeting, including Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Frans Kapofi, Namibia Central Intelligence Service director general Rear Admiral (Rtd) Sinsy Nghipandua, home affairs executive Étienne Maritz and Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force General Joseph Shikongo.
The meeting was chaired by Tanzanian foreign minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, who is the current chair of the MCO.
“We did not fail to call a spade a spade. This meeting reaffirmed that SADC remains committed to peace, security and sovereignty in our region,” Namibia’s diplomat said.